Letters to the Editor

THE REAL PUBLIC HEALTH HAZARD I read the article by Daniel Blumenthal, M.D., M.P.H., captioned “Gun violence is a public health hazard” in the July 12 edition of Illinois Times. Unfortunately, Dr. Blumenthal’s conclusions are as shallow and misleading as his facts. Firearm-related deaths for 2016 were 38,658. Of this total, 22,938 or 59 percent […]

DOWNPOUR MAGIC Amaranth Apple Festival, sponsored by Downtown Springfield, Inc., began early Friday when Steven Duchrow performed a Vachel Lindsay interpretation at the Illinois State Library. Later Friday night the festival picked up downtown with music, food and merriment to stimulate the crowd. Mr. Duchrow hit the main stage to bellow more Vachel Lindsay-isms to inspire the moment. The […]

SEPARATION, NOT MARGINALIZATION In the July 5 edition of Illinois Times, Stephen Soltys points out that “marginalization” of certain groups by a government may result in policies such as those that led to the Holocaust in Nazi Germany (GUESTWORK: “A psychiatrist on separating children”). I question the use of “marginalization” when referring to the illegal […]

DEFENDING CORNELIUS In response to “State’s top Lincoln expert on shelf” (Illinois Times, June 28, by Bruce Rushton): James Cornelius has spent over 10 years as the Lincoln curator at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum. The 2012 “incident” occurred while working with then-director Eileen Mackevich. James spoke up while others bit their tongues, […]

STOP ‘BEAT THE TRAIN’ Great article on the railroad sidewalk fencing (“Don’t fence me in,” by Bruce Rushton, June 21). I too drive through that intersection every day on my way home. Everybody here at the Illinois Commerce Commission had a good laugh and loved the fact that you combine excellent writing skills with a […]

THANK YOU, TEACHERS For the past three weeks or so, I have felt a tug on my heart to rise up and recognize our teachers and the critical role that they play in charting the course of young lives. It may be because I spent 15 years as a teacher before leaving to start my […]

EDGAR NO FISCAL ANGEL In response to “Back to the backlog,” (Daniel C. Vock, Illinois Times, June 7): Saying that Illinois’ “downward slide” began with George Ryan is a little like saying that Europe’s problems in WWII started at Dunkirk. Any well-researched article (Crain’s Chicago Business ran an excellent one) will correctly point out that […]

GNAT NIGHTMARE In response to “Tiny insects, big annoyance” (Karen Ackerman Witter, Illinois Times, May 31): Factor in the increasingly mild winters due to climate change, and every spring is a new nightmare. Fred SlocombeSpringfield DOUBLE-STANDARD GAME Wind a conservative up and they’ll go off looking for a “single-edged double standard” that is being used […]

The collection includes gloves that Lincoln wore to Ford’s Theater and a hat that has had its provenance questioned. SELLING LINCOLN Tremendous article in the May 17 edition of Illinois Times titled “Selling Lincoln.” I guess you have seen that the original State Journal-Register piece first announcing the potential auction of various artifacts from the […]

DRAIN THE SWAMPThank you for the article on Sam McCann (“Disrupter for governor,” by David Blanchette, Illinois Times, May 17). I am a staunch Republican, and my friend Kevin is a staunch Democrat. What do a staunch Republican and a staunch Democrat have in common? We are both voting for Sam McCann. Drain the Illinois […]

SPORTS GAMBLING The U.S. Supreme Court struck down a federal law that prohibits sports gambling. I strongly disagree with the high court’s decision based in a states’ rights argument. I too believe in states’ rights, but this is not the issue in this case. The real matter at hand is whether the American people have […]

KEEP AMTRAK STAFFED When properly staffed, Amtrak train stations provide a vital transportation link for many communities with limited transportation alternatives. However, Amtrak has recently begun eliminating customer service representative (ticket agent) jobs at many stops across the country. While Amtrak trains will continue to stop at these stations, passengers will lose access to: • […]